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Beyond AirTunes?
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petej said:
Or even adding a USB hub. Could you do that?
cr2sh said:
Wait.. I thought they had people working on wireless electricity transfers. I think the correct wording would be "there's nothing available right now for a wireless power transfer." That is unless Apple invents an Armitron-type iPod; the kind that mechanically add power as you walk. That would be cool.
macnews
macrumors 6502a
I think, as some have mentioned, a WiFi iPod would be nice as a remote. I don't think this is just a geek item or wish. Think about design. Steve has said the computer isn't the center peice of the house, and while the flat panel imac is probably the best looking computer to date (IMHO) - most people still have a computer tucked away in a home office or back room. That is why the controlling of airport express via your mac or pc is not attractive - you wouldn't want it sitting next to your home system out in the living room (too ugly and not useful), but running back and forth between the back office and living room gets old unless maybe you live in a small apartment.
Now, think about the iPod with WiFi or bluetooth (maybe airport express will later support bluetooth) sitting in its dock next to your home system. Small, unobtrusive and functional. It charges and can broadcast from the dock, or you can pick it up, sit on the couch and control it. Battery life starts to drain? Put it back in the dock. Given the current 6-8 hour realistic life, using WiFi might last 3-4 hours (half). Lots of time and easy (i.e. short walk) to charge it. Plus, it mobile so you can walk all over your home controlling it. Oh yeah, it would also be a big fashion statement. People come in and see your iPod proudly displayed, then start playing songs on your home system.
Syncing would not take long. Syncing takes a while when you have tons of songs to download - like when you first get the ipod. Fine, use the firewire cord and sync is when you first get it. After that you might sync 1,2 - maybe 5 songs at a time, unless you delay.
If you also think about where you would need to plug in the airport express - close to your home speaker system. This means wires hidden, nice clean interface so to speak.
Plus, if the ipod can be a remote, perhaps you can tie it in to more things with the mac - like controlling the dvd player. The potential is there.
I guess I just don't see apple making a seperate remote control. I could be wrong but there are a few problems with that:
1. People already have a ton of remotes (tv, dvd, stereo, vcr, cable) now itunes?
2. People try to consolidate those remotes with all in ones. My guess is if apple made their own, it wouldn't be easy to integrate with all in ones, much like modern home stereos.
3. There just is not a lot of money to be made making a seperate hardware remote device. They might leave this up to a third party and work with them closely if they (apple) don't do it with the ipod.
That is my two cents.
Now, think about the iPod with WiFi or bluetooth (maybe airport express will later support bluetooth) sitting in its dock next to your home system. Small, unobtrusive and functional. It charges and can broadcast from the dock, or you can pick it up, sit on the couch and control it. Battery life starts to drain? Put it back in the dock. Given the current 6-8 hour realistic life, using WiFi might last 3-4 hours (half). Lots of time and easy (i.e. short walk) to charge it. Plus, it mobile so you can walk all over your home controlling it. Oh yeah, it would also be a big fashion statement. People come in and see your iPod proudly displayed, then start playing songs on your home system.
Syncing would not take long. Syncing takes a while when you have tons of songs to download - like when you first get the ipod. Fine, use the firewire cord and sync is when you first get it. After that you might sync 1,2 - maybe 5 songs at a time, unless you delay.
If you also think about where you would need to plug in the airport express - close to your home speaker system. This means wires hidden, nice clean interface so to speak.
Plus, if the ipod can be a remote, perhaps you can tie it in to more things with the mac - like controlling the dvd player. The potential is there.
I guess I just don't see apple making a seperate remote control. I could be wrong but there are a few problems with that:
1. People already have a ton of remotes (tv, dvd, stereo, vcr, cable) now itunes?
2. People try to consolidate those remotes with all in ones. My guess is if apple made their own, it wouldn't be easy to integrate with all in ones, much like modern home stereos.
3. There just is not a lot of money to be made making a seperate hardware remote device. They might leave this up to a third party and work with them closely if they (apple) don't do it with the ipod.
That is my two cents.
pjkelnhofer
macrumors 6502a
a_iver said:
People have been working on it for quite some time. In fact Nikola Tesla was trying to do just that over 100 years ago when he invented radio. The problem is how do you send "electricity" through the air without making everything in between into toast? Or, at the very least causing rather large tumors in it?
wPod
macrumors 68000
i will finally have a reason to upgrade from my 1st Gen iPod if they come out with an iPod with wifi. maybe with wifi you could even connect to iTMS and purchase music right from your iPod. . . wait, no theres not a keyboard to input your password. . . i wouldnt want my pals snatching my iPod and downloading britney spears or something. i cant wait to get airport express. . . then hopefully a wifi iPod in the future!
LaMerVipere
macrumors 6502a
Well if Apple doesn't make the products people want, other companies will. But this is good news really, props to Apple for being on the cutting edge of the digital lifestyle in the home. But Windows Media Center Edition is something along the lines of what Apple should try to implement if they really want to catch up in the PC world.
joeboy_45101
macrumors 6502
Does anybody know if Apple streams the WWDC Keynote in the AppleStores. I'd like to stop in and see it if they do. 😕
pjkelnhofer
macrumors 6502a
joeboy_45101 said:
In general they do, if not it is streamed on the website, and if worst comes to worst you can enjoy up to the second coverage at Macrumors I am sure.
At least that has been the rule in the past.
Now think about this --
You've got your WiFi iPod, right? Lots of other peope do too, these days...
iTunes already has music sharing capabilities. What if the same were added to iPods? When another iPod comes in WiFi range, or you're on a WiFi network with iTunes users, you can play the songs that they have shared on their iPod or their iTunes, and vice versa! How sweet would that be? Hop on the subway, see what libraries are around...
It's yet another step way ahead of anyone else in digital music. Go Apple!
You've got your WiFi iPod, right? Lots of other peope do too, these days...
iTunes already has music sharing capabilities. What if the same were added to iPods? When another iPod comes in WiFi range, or you're on a WiFi network with iTunes users, you can play the songs that they have shared on their iPod or their iTunes, and vice versa! How sweet would that be? Hop on the subway, see what libraries are around...
It's yet another step way ahead of anyone else in digital music. Go Apple!
Awimoway said:
Requires a PC, doesn't see your iTunes library, and doesn't work with iTunes Music Store songs. Three strike and you're out, out, out.
Wireless power is possible, and it already in use today.
Ever heard of solar panels? They receive energy wirelessly.
Ever heard of solar panels? They receive energy wirelessly.
a little off topic
but the bulb just lit over my head. This site is APPLE's best consumer focus group. I wonder how many of these pages get printed out and distributed to R&D? leak a little from Apple and see what the world thinks.
Oh yea, in the beyond airtunes vein i want video
and I want a remote/ipod/unlocked gsm smartphone/mouse
and a tablet with a pen.
and HDTV wireless!
and voice over IP integrated with .mac
and ...
more thoughtful working software and hardware from Apple and its third party developers.
Thanks Steve!
since I was a little kid with an apple II, IIc, Mac MacIIci, powerbook 165c, and now!! Powerbook G4 17" 1.5ghz all fill(ed) me with the potential of home computing. All have been cool and have made me wish for more apple development. The windows hulks rusting in my basement only bring back memories of frustration and hours of stress trying to figure out what and where my data are.
now back to the topic....
T
but the bulb just lit over my head. This site is APPLE's best consumer focus group. I wonder how many of these pages get printed out and distributed to R&D? leak a little from Apple and see what the world thinks.
Oh yea, in the beyond airtunes vein i want video
and I want a remote/ipod/unlocked gsm smartphone/mouse
and a tablet with a pen.
and HDTV wireless!
and voice over IP integrated with .mac
and ...
more thoughtful working software and hardware from Apple and its third party developers.
Thanks Steve!
since I was a little kid with an apple II, IIc, Mac MacIIci, powerbook 165c, and now!! Powerbook G4 17" 1.5ghz all fill(ed) me with the potential of home computing. All have been cool and have made me wish for more apple development. The windows hulks rusting in my basement only bring back memories of frustration and hours of stress trying to figure out what and where my data are.
now back to the topic....
T
pjkelnhofer
macrumors 6502a
Awimoway said:
Hmmm, the "introductory system" is $1199. Not to mention the "Zoneplayer" cost $499 and does basically the same thing as the AXp (I know it has other features such as an amplifier).
I honestly don't really like the idea of a single WiFi remote for the system. I can't keep track of my TV remote half the time.
wipod
An ipod to me is not just a portable music system - but a replacement for the bigger audio systems you have at home. I think apple will be branching out the ipod. The ipodmini will be simple and small with the core purpose of replacing a walkman. and slightly bigger ipods with wifi capability to function as a replacement for stereo systems that you can take with you. The bigger iPod or wipod could have increased pda type functionality - while they could make small minipods cheaper and more focused. I want the slightly bigger, more versatile ipod for use with a car, my home speakers and the audio systems at my friends houses - so i can share my music during get togethers.
An ipod to me is not just a portable music system - but a replacement for the bigger audio systems you have at home. I think apple will be branching out the ipod. The ipodmini will be simple and small with the core purpose of replacing a walkman. and slightly bigger ipods with wifi capability to function as a replacement for stereo systems that you can take with you. The bigger iPod or wipod could have increased pda type functionality - while they could make small minipods cheaper and more focused. I want the slightly bigger, more versatile ipod for use with a car, my home speakers and the audio systems at my friends houses - so i can share my music during get togethers.
If the new Nintendo handheld can have wifi capabilities, there's no reason the next iPod can't.
hiptobesquare
macrumors regular
pjkelnhofer said:
Have to agree there, but when your tv remote is not lost, there should be a way to have the TV in your home theater system show the itunes window from your computer, while the music comes from the speakers. with the music and video coming from AirTunes. all controlled with the remote your tv already has.
Just pipe dreams, I have a feeling... but that never hurt anyone!
mainstreetmark
macrumors 68020
NeoMayhem said:
Obviously we mean wirelessly transmit power. The only reasonable thing todate is those stupid keychains they used to have a Mobile stations where you walk up, and swipe it. In that time, the keychain charges up from the power in the carrier signal and broadcasts it's ID back to the gas pump, and poof, it's out of power. We're talking milliwatts and millimeters.
Tesla, as mentioned earlier, once had a pretty good plan to build a tower that created an ionized tunnel between the earth (ground) and some layer in the upper atmosphere, which, in theory, would allow a power company to 'charge up' and people all over to place a small antenna on their house, and another one stuck in the ground, and receive power, but that experiment ran out of money before the prototype could be completed. Then Tesla went nuts and started taking care of all the pigeons in NYC.
Also, I kind of think that something with the transmitting power and bandwitdh of 802.11g would consume quite a bit of juice from something like an iPod. With a PowerBook, it's not such a big deal, since there's plenty of high-capacity battery, but the iPod's just got that little guy in there, and it's already got to run the harddrive, and the iPod is already on the low end of battery life. Wifi may be an overkill. Bluetooth (purely due to range) may be an underkill. A separate RF receiver would work well, but would require a dongle plugged into the computer, which I would dislike. It's like when I bought my first wireless mouse and it came with a mouse-looking thing I still had to plug in to the USB port. (Then I got the MX900)
mainstreetmark said:
Well give the guy credit at least for thinking outside the box a little. Why would you suck power from the outlets and add to your electricity bill when you can suck it from the air. Solar was the first thing I thought too, except the only problem is that our home, computer, and iPod are inside doors most of the time. My armitron idea now that I think of it would cause problems too I bet. Once people start losing power they're gonna want to shake it - which would probably cause hard drive problems, although I'm not aware of the specs for the amount of force they can take. Maybe solid state hard drives though.
mainstreetmark said:
Tesla builded a prototype but it never got finish or fully tested, he manage to light up I think it was 100 homes over the air in Colorado back in the late 1800's early 1900's, but he ran out of money to finish the experiments, whe he die the government took all his research...
Analog Kid
macrumors G3
Can't use Bluetooth for headphones without a decompression engine built in-- BT only has 768kbits bandwidth.CoreForce said:
Stereo, 16bit gives you 24kHz. That's about 10kHz audio bandwidth if there's no protocol overhead...